Brothers and sisters…God showed his kindness to the churches… While they were being severely tested… their overflowing joy, along with their extreme poverty, has made them even more generous…by their own free will they have given all they could, even more than they could afford…more than we had expected. First, they gave themselves to the Lord… You know about the kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was rich, yet for your sake he became poor in order to make you rich through his poverty. At the present time, your surplus fills their need so that their surplus may fill your need. In this way things balance out. (2 Cor. 8:1-3, 5, 9, 14 GWT)